Getty Former Los Angeles Chargers TE Sean Culkin (#80)
The Kansas City Chiefs have added a former AFC West rival to their offseason plans on offense.
According to the NFL’s official transaction report for Friday, February 5, the AFC champions have signed fourth-year TE Sean Culkin to a reserve/future contract. The move will not have any impact on Super Bowl LV on Sunday as future contracts do not take effect until the start of the new league year on March 17.
Culkin, 27, played his college ball locally at the University of Missouri, where he registered 61 catches, 601 yards and a pair of touchdowns in 28 games across four seasons. In 2017, he signed on with the Los Angeles Chargers as an undrafted free agent and spent his first three NFL seasons there. Culkin, unfortunately, suffered a torn Achilles tendon in Week 4 of the 2019 season, forcing him out of action until signing on with the Baltimore Ravens practice squad last September.
Overall, the 6-foot-5, 255-pounder has hardly been utilized as a pass-catcher in his pro career, as evidenced by his two receptions for 36 yards in 19 career games. He has also played 107 snaps on special teams, all in 2018-19.
Culkin will now have an opportunity to compete for a depth role behind three-time All-Pro Travis Kelce, a group that currently includes veterans Ricky Seals-Jones, Evan Baylis (practice squad), Nick Keizer (exclusive restricted free agent) and Deon Yelder (restricted free agent).
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Culkin Joins 5 Other Chiefs Already on Future Deals
Despite gearing up for its second consecutive Super Bowl appearance, the Chiefs front office has also been busy cultivating talent for the upcoming offseason. In recent weeks, the club has signed five others to reserve/future contracts, including a few recognizable names in Chiefs Kingdom.
Culkin marks the sixth addition to the group, all of which have been on offense thus far. The group is expected to grow in the days following the Super Bowl, as most teams typically elect to designate the majority of their future deals shortly after season’s end.
Chiefs Send 2 Key Players to Injured Reserve
In a separate flurry of roster moves on Saturday, the Chiefs placed Pro Bowl LT Eric Fisher (torn Achilles) and rookie LB Willie Gay Jr. (torn meniscus) on injured reserve, officially ending their 2020 seasons after missing all of this week’s practices.
While not unexpected, the moves cleared a pair of roster spots for TE Deon Yelder, who was activated from IR, and DB Chris Lammons, who was activated from the practice squad.
TE Deon Yelder has been activated from Injured Reserve.
LB Chris Lammons has been activated from the Practice Squad.
In addition, Kansas City further bolstered their game day depth by elevating veteran QB Matt Moore and WR Marcus Kemp from the practice squad to the 53-man roster.
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Chris Licata is an NFL contributor covering the Kansas City Chiefs from enemy territory in Denver, Colorado. Follow him on Twitter @Chris__Licata or join the Heavy on Chiefs Facebook community for the latest out of Chiefs Kingdom!